-Fit- for Swimming
by UnicornPancakes
Summary: Kataryn Quinten, born in Japan to an Irish mother and a British father has been home-schooled her entire life up until now. There's two things she hates more than anything, and that's being called by her surname, and well, water. At the beginning, she thought she'd enjoy her new school life, that is until she meets the members of the school's swim club.
1. Prologue

The alarm clock rang at seven o'clock sharp, but the young girl was too comfy to pay attention to it. The alarm clock wouldn't stop, so she simply turned around to turn it off. As she did, she once again fell back into a deep slumber. She never wanted to get out of bed. Her covers were keeping her warm and she couldn't feel any more comfortable.

Unfortunately, the girl's peace was interrupted when her mother walked into her room to wake her.

"Honey, it's time to go to school. You're going to be late," her mother warned. She looked at the clock to see that it was twenty past seven. The girl slowly awakened to see her mother in front of her, feeling confused.

"Huh? Late for what?"

Her mother sighed. "Late for school, of course. Don't you remember, Kataryn? Anyway, breakfast is ready, so come down to eat." Her mother then walked toward the door. Kataryn heard her footsteps going down the stairs as she slowly got out of bed and started doing morning stretches.

"I almost forgot I had to go to school today. It's my first time after all," Kataryn said to herself. She started what would now be her new daily routine. She went to the washroom to brush her teeth, then walked back to her room to get dressed and brush her hair. Kataryn looked into the mirror while brushing her hip-length, chestnut brown hair. The girl had sharp teal eyes and skin as soft as porcelain.

"Ugh, why aren't you cooperating?! Stupid hair!" Kataryn groaned. She took out the shears she had been keeping in her drawer. Her mother called just as she was one inch away from chopping her long hair.

"Kataryn, your food's going to get cold!"

"I'm coming!" she yelled.

Kataryn made her way down the stairs to the kitchen. She sat down and had breakfast before leaving her house. As she put on her shoes, her mother couldn't help but look worriedly at her.

"Do you have your phone?" she asked.

"Of course I do, mother."

Kataryn rolled her eyes. She knew that a cell phone was a must-have, and she would always have it close to her in case of an emergency. Her mother's shoulders dropped.

"Well, take care then. Call me if you need anything."

"Will do. Bye, mom!"

Kataryn ran out the door. Her mother stood at the doorway, a nostalgic look on her face. _My, how fast they grow. _She thought.

She felt as if it was a bit too late to be thinking as such. Any parent would've felt the same way if they saw their child going to school for the first time, and this was Kataryn's first school she'd ever gone to. She had been home-schooled her whole life due to her father's job. However, he got a promotion so they were able to finally settle down. Her mother thought it would be a good idea to send her to school so that she would be able to enjoy the rest of the years to come, making friends and experiencing new things. Even though her mother did make Kataryn sign up for "after-school" activities, she felt as if she'd deprived Kataryn out of making proper friends, so she wanted to do her best to get her back on track.

Her mother wished she could've sent her daughter to school sooner. By the time they moved in, Kataryn was already a second year in high school. School didn't start until a month ago, so she's a bit late. Luckily, due to Kataryn's intense homeschooling, catching up on work won't be too hard for her. Kataryn's mother smiled and closed the door.

Meanwhile, Kataryn had made it halfway down the path to school. She felt her heart racing at what was to come. She was aware that school was only for learning, but somewhere deep inside of her, she also wanted to make friends.

She finally made it to the school entrance, the sign reading Iwatobi High School. Kataryn was relieved that she made it just in time before the bell.


	2. Chapter 1

The students filed into their classroom, 2-1, chatting merrily. At the back of the class sat two boys. They were very good friends. One boy had straight black hair, and deep blue eyes. He always wore a stoic expression on his face. The taller boy had brown hair that had a chlorine-green tint and olive green eyes. He had a simple, easy going demeanor, and a kind smile.

The taller boy noticed his friend didn't have his textbook.

"Haru, where's your textbook?"

"I forgot it, Makoto," he stated nonchalantly.

The brunette sighed. "I guess it can't be helped. Let's share."

Haruka didn't respond. He didn't seem to care, as usual. Even so, Makoto knew that even though Haruka didn't show it, he always relied on him. He had always accepted this side of Haruka. He deeply cared for his friend and always made sure he was doing fine.

The bell rung. First period had officially started. A few seconds later, the homeroom teacher, Miho Amakata, whom the students had nicknamed "Ama-chan-sensei", walked into the classroom.

"Stand. Bow."

The class did just like she ordered. She stood straight and cleared her throat.

"Now, class, I have something important to announce. We have a new student! Would you please come in?" Ms. Amakata looked toward the door, inviting the new student in. The new girl walked into the class, not glancing at anyone. She stood straight as if she was trying to make a good impression, and bowed. The teacher smiled. "This is Kataryn Quinten. She'll be your new classmate. Please give your best regards to her. Now, would you please write your name on the board, Miss Quinten?"

"Please, just call me Kataryn," She said, a hint of annoyance in her voice.

"Oh, alright, then."

Ms Amakata smiled again as Kataryn wrote her name on the board. The students stared at the new student. It wasn't very often to get transfers this time of the year, not to mention one who appeared to be of European descent. She was quite the beauty.

"Nice to meet all of you," she greeted the class with a serious expression on her face.

"You're welcome to take a seat beside Tachibana Makoto."

The teacher pointed to the seat at the back right beside Makoto. Kataryn headed towards the empty chair. As she did, the students couldn't take their eyes off her. She sat down and sighed.

"Hello, I'm Makoto Tachibana. Nice to meet you!"

"Pleased to make your acquaintance." Kataryn greeted back politely. Makoto laughed.

"No need to be so polite. If you need anything, please let me know. I'll be more than happy to help!"

Kataryn was surprised by his kind gesture. She wouldn't have guessed that someone would be treating her this kindly on her first day of school. When she first walked into the school, she saw how simple-minded the students were. Many of the guys couldn't stop checking her out and she heard the girls whispering quietly as they glanced in her direction. She looked at Makoto. She wasn't sure how to respond. It was a relief that someone was so friendly towards her, but she hadn't had the opportunity to speak to many people outside of her family.

"I see. I currently don't need any help. Thank you for the offer." She spoke in a cold and almost condescending tone.

Makoto became intimidated. He felt as if something he said put her off. He laughed awkwardly, trying to shake the uncomfortable feeling she gave him. _She's quite something, isn't she?_ he thought. "A-alright, then." It was all he managed to say. Haruka had been glancing at them this entire time, listening to their entire conversation, but he seemed to care little. Finally, Ms. Amakata began her lecture and everyone turned towards the front of the class.

* * *

It was already lunchtime. Makoto and Haruka were hanging out with two other boys. One was an enthusiastic, yet childish first year with wavy blond hair and dark pink eyes. He seemed rather short for his age. The other boy was also a first year student, though he looked very mature for his age. He wore red glasses and had dark blue hair and violet eyes. They were all having lunch on the rooftop of the school.

"So…what do you think of the new transfer student, Haru?" Makoto asked, looking at his friend.

"Nothing much, really," he bluntly said while taking a bite out of his food. The other boys were curious to what they were talking about.

"Transfer student?" the bluenette asked.

"She transferred to my and Haru's class this morning. Her name is Quinten Kataryn," Makoto explained.

_Huh? So it's a female? A Western female_? Rei thought.

The blonde got excited by hearing the news. "Maybe she can join the swim club! It'd be great to have a girl on the team that can swim!"

"We already have enough members, Nagisa. We don't need other ones," Haruka retorted.

"We can't force her to join!" Makoto added. Nagisa made a pouty expression. _Not to mention we don't know if she can swim. We really don't want to go through the trouble we went through when teaching Rei again,_ Makoto thought.

"By the way, where's Kou?" the bespectacled boy raised his head. Kou, or rather, Gou Matsuoka, was the manager of the swim team. She helped everyone train before relays. However, today, she wasn't anywhere to be seen.

"Gou-chan? I think she went to eat lunch with her friends, Rei," Nagisa responded, referring to the manager by the misreading of her name, a gesture she hated.

It wasn't very surprising. Gou was always spending so much time trying to get everyone ready for the relays, that she didn't have enough time to hang out with her other friends during lunch.

Meanwhile, Kataryn was in the classroom, being bombarded with the other students' questions. She couldn't take so many people talking at the same time, so she excused herself._ Phew, that was really nerve-wracking. I've got to get to the cafeteria,_ she thought. Kataryn went into the washroom to cool off. She saw a group of girls talking in the corner. They seemed to be gossiping about a girl in their class, but Kataryn couldn't make out her name. _Ugh, people are stupider than I thought. Why are they wasting their time with pointless small talk?_ After she stepped out of the washroom, she realized that she had no idea how to get to the cafeteria. She worked up the courage to ask a girl who passed by.

"Excuse me. I'm new here, do you know where the cafeteria is?" She asked while raising her chin in an awkward bravado. The girl stopped and turned to her. She had long burgundy hair tied into a ponytail.

"Oh, I see. It's downstairs on the main floor. I'll take you!"

The girl guided Kataryn toward the cafeteria. _Thank goodness_, Kataryn thought. The girl turned to Kataryn in attempt to start a conversation.

"I'm Matsuoka Kou. What's your name?"

"I'm Quinten Kataryn, but please just call me by my first name" Kataryn replied. Gou smiled.

"Here it is," She said as they entered the cafeteria. She paused for a second. "Do you want to eat lunch together, Kataryn?" The new student didn't seem too bad to her.

"S-sure," Kataryn answered nervously. They got their lunches and sat outside, avoiding the packed interior.

"So, what grade are you in? I would've known you were a first year if you were in one of my classes."

"I'm a second in year student. Class 2-1," Kataryn replied, amused at how friendly Gou was.

"Is that so? I have friends in that class." Gou sounded rather surprised.

Kataryn had no idea how easy it would be to get along with someone she had just met. Gou proved easy to talk to, and time flew by. Suddenly, the bell rang.

"Already?" Gou checked the clock on her phone. Both of the girls stood up. "Well, I guess we have to go back to class. It was great talking to you! Oh, is it okay if I get your phone number?"

"Umm...alright," Kataryn murmured, handing Gou her cell phone.

The two girls said their goodbyes to each other, and each went their separate ways.

The day had ended. Kataryn was satisfied that she made a friend. Just one was enough for her. Any more friends would have been a burden. She was content to make it through the day without the inconveniences of too many people bothering her.

Finally, she arrived home and sighed. Her mother greeted her as she walked into the house. "How was your first day?"

"It was alright."

Kataryn took her schoolbag upstairs and plopped onto her bed. _Who knew going to school could be this tiring?_ She thought.

* * *

_**Author's Note:**__ Oh god chapter one. This is my first time ever writing a fanfiction, although I had to rewrite the same story about three times in order for the plot to make sense. I'd like to thank one of my good friends (you know who you are, gurl ;D) for editing this._

**_Update: _**_So I had to take this down and re-edit because the thought italics didn't show up when I pasted the story OTL_


	3. Chapter 2

The next morning, Kataryn walked out of the door and started making her way to school. Though she wasn't too happy to be going back, she had a friend who she could talk to. As she was walking, she saw two familiar figures. She picked up the pace to see who they were, but at the same time she tried to keep a distance so that they wouldn't notice her. She recognised them as Makoto and Haruka.

Kataryn sighed, and closed her eyes as she continued walking. Suddenly, she tripped on a rock and let out a high pitched shriek that echoed through the block.

Naturally, the boys turned around to see what had happened.

"What was that?" Makoto was the first to turn around to see Kataryn lying face down on the floor. He ran up to her, with Haruka following shortly behind. Makoto crouched over Kataryn's collapsed body. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"Eh?" Kataryn poked her head up to see her classmates staring down at her. She quickly got up and started dusting away dirt she had on her school uniform, her face bright red. She didn't like the fact that Haruka and Makoto had seen her like this. She turned to her peers, forcing a smile on her face. "Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry about it!"

Makoto got up from his crouched position. He was still troubled about what had just happened. "Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yes, I'm sure!" Kataryn tried reassuring Makoto.

"Forget it, Makoto. She said she was fine," Haruka pressed.

"But Haru-"

Before Makoto could reply, Haruka started walking away. Makoto quickly apologised before running to catch up with his friend. "Hey Haru, don't just leave me here! Haru!" Haruka ignored him and acted as if he wasn't there.

_What's up with that guy? _Kataryn thought, noting Haruka's distant behaviour. She waited until Haruka and Makoto were nowhere in sight before she started walking again. She was relieved that at least she didn't have to see them anymore, but her dreams were shattered when she entered the classroom. _How could I forget these two are in the same class as I am!? _Kataryn lowered her head in defeat and walked over to her desk, trying to not make eye contact with anyone. She sat down, praying Makoto wouldn't try to talk to her, but he was already occupied with Haruka and Nagisa.

The cheerful boy turned to Kataryn. She pretended not to see him, but this didn't stop the boy from skipping to her desk and slamming his hands against her table. She suppressed a screech.

"You're the transfer student, Kataryn, right? Can I call you Kata-chan?" His smile was as bright as the sun. Kataryn was dumbfounded by his enthusiastic behaviour. She scrunched her face, displeased. "I'm Nagisa Hazuki! Would you like to join the swim club?!" The boy inched closer to her face.

She felt uncomfortable by his sudden request. _S-swim club? Why would I want to join that? _"Sorry, I'm not interested in joining such a thing."

"Huh?! Why? It's so fun! And it'd be great to have a girl on the team!" Nagisa tried persuading Kataryn like a salesman. She wanted to get out of the classroom and walk home.

"I'm not interested,"she said through gritted teeth.

Nagisa pouted at the rejection. Makoto intervened their conversation, defending Kataryn. "Hey Nagisa! Don't pester her like that." Makoto had noticed Kataryn's agitation. Just before Nagisa could say anything else, the bell rung. He threw his bag over his shoulder in fear of being late. He waved at his two friends and Kataryn.

"Bye guys. See ya, Kata-chan~" he sang before he soon disappeared from the room. Shortly after, Ms. Amakata walked into class and started her lesson.

* * *

Lunch had now started. As soon as the bell rung, Nagisa flung the door open, looking ecstatic. "Hey guys, let's have lunch beside the pool today!"

Haruka was the first to nod, eyes glistening at Nagisa's suggestion. He stood up in a hurry, then turned to Makoto. "Let's go."

"W-wait, Haru!" Makoto tried to catch up to Haruka, quickly shoving his school materials in his bag. Haruka walked to the door and turned to Makoto as he was zipping his bag closed.

"What?" he grimaced.

"You never wait for me! Geez, Haru."

Makoto finally took his bag and walked to the door. Nagisa seemed to be staring at something, or _someone_, in this case. His eyes focused on Kataryn, who seemed to be zoning out. Nagisa approached her with a bright smile on his face. "You can come, too, if you want!" he said.

"Go where?" Kataryn raised an eyebrow.

"Eat lunch with us at the pool."

Kataryn sighed and turned away. She was fed up with Nagisa's pestering, even though she only met him a few hours ago. She felt she was going to lose it if she had to deal with him any longer. "Thanks, but no thanks." She turned him down coldly. _Geez, what makes him think I want to eat beside a pool? Is he trying to make me puke? _Some unpleasant memories she had regarding pools and oceans surfaced. Even when coming to school, she always tried to avoid the road by the seaside, taking the longer way instead.

Haruka and Makoto watched as Kataryn and Nagisa argued. Haruka was annoyed that Nagisa kept pestering a girl who didn't seem to have the slightest interest in joining the swim club. _We don't need people like that_ _with us._

"What are you guys standing there for?" they heard a voice asking from behind. It was Gou, with Rei behind her. Makoto sighed.

"Why don't you see for yourself?" he said, stepping aside.

The pair peeked into the classroom. Rei adjusted his glasses. "It seems as if Nagisa has found a new target."

Gou nodded at Rei's observation as she marched toward her friends. "Hey Nagisa, you shouldn't do that to a girl!" she cried.

"Huh, why?" Nagisa pouted.

"It's harassment!"

Gou turned to Kataryn and bowed in apology. "I'm really sorry about him. He's always doing that." She then turned to Nagisa, frowning. "So…what were you trying to make her do? I'm guessing you tried to make her join the swim club, right?"

Nagisa held up his hands in denial. "You've got it all wrong, Gou! I-I was just trying to make her have lunch with us!" he sulked.

"I told you to call me Kou! Geez..." Gou grumbled. _I've known this guy for a month, and he still calls me that! _Gou looked at Kataryn. "Do you still want to have lunch with them? I'm going, too, and I'd love to talk to you more." She smiled.

Kataryn hesitated to answer. She didn't feel comfortable having lunch with this many people, especially beside a pool. She turned to look at Gou's and Nagisa's pleading expressions. She finally sighed, giving into peer pressure. "Fine…I'll go…"

"Yahooo!" Nagisa jumped up in glee.

Everyone walked to the school's pool. Kataryn was behind the group, feeling awkward around so many people. When they finally made it, Kataryn felt even more uneasy. She turned away from the pool, taking out her lunch. Even during the walk to the pool, she got to see how close and friendly the swim team was to one another. They all seemed like such great friends. She couldn't help but feel a bit left out.

Immediately after Haruka finished his lunch, he stood up and started stripping. _W-wait, what is he doing stripping in a place like this?! _she thought, feeling embarrassed. She thought about saying something, but couldn't find the nerve to do so. It turned out Haruka had swim trunks underneath his school uniform, which was a bit of a relief. Haruka dived into the water. Kataryn tried to not look back.

"Haru, you can't jump into the water after eating!" Makoto warned Haruka, but he simply ignored him and continued to float in the water.

"I don't see what the problem is," Nagisa said.

"There is a problem," Rei stated. "It is not recommended to swim within an hour after eating. When you carry out an activity that involves muscle work, the muscles being used will demand more blood supply along with the digestive system. Both organs will be competing at the same time for an inadequate supply of blood to function, thus causing tissues to cramp. Simply put, you could drown."

"Y-you could've just said that in the beginning..." Makoto laughed awkwardly.

Kataryn didn't pay attention to his words. Not because they weren't interesting, or because she couldn't understand, but because she already knew all this stuff already. She simply nodded at his explanation.

"So…are you going to join the swim club now, Kata-chan?" Nagisa asked Kataryn with a smile on his face. Kataryn ignored him and put her lunch box away. She stood up to leave.

"W-wait, where are you going?" Nagisa asked, surprised at her sudden action.

"You told me to have lunch with you guys, not to join the swim club. I'm already done with my lunch, so I can leave, right?"

"That can't be!" Nagisa pleaded, blocking her path. "You'd be a great addition to the club. We need more girls!"

"I already said no!" she yelled.

"But you'd be great for sex appeal! It'll definitely get us more members. You can even be our mascot!"

"Are you using me just for _that_?! What makes you think I'd do such a thing?" Kataryn puffed her cheeks. Makoto and the others tried to calm Nagisa down, but he was too determined to get a new member. Nagisa and Kataryn continued to argue, the blonde pushing her farther back each time he spoke. Now, Kataryn was an inch away from the pool, but didn't notice. Suddenly, Gou, Rei and Makoto shouted to her in unison, _"Be careful!"_

It was too late. By the time they warned her, Kataryn had already slipped and been completely submerged by the water. She tried to breathe, but the water filled her lungs. She started getting a terrible headache, a familiar scene flashed before her eyes. Frozen, she couldn't even move an inch. All she could do was stare at the surface, longing for it. Her headache got worse, and she started to choke. She wanted to get out, but her body wasn't letting her. After a few seconds, her consciousness started to fade.

Haruka, who was sitting at the poolside, dived in to grab her. By the time he had pulled her out, her consciousness completely faded.

Kataryn opened her eyes and noticed the swim team and Ms. Amakata standing over her. Kataryn coughed violently. She tried getting up, but her piercing headache prevented her from doing just that. She looked at Gou and said in a drowsy voice, "W-what's going on? Why's everyone here?"

"You mean you don't remember what just happened?"

Kataryn shook her head, unable to understand her friend's words.

"Just take her to the nurse's office," Makoto offered.

Ms. Amakata and Gou joined Kataryn on the way to the nurse's office.

The other four boys looked as they walked away. Haruka suddenly hugged his stomach in pain. They looked at him worriedly.

"What's wrong, Nanase-senpai?" Rei asked.

"C-cramps," Haruka managed to say under his breath. Makoto and Rei sighed.

"Should we take you to the nurse's office, too?" Makoto asked.

"No…I'll just go home."

"That's not good, Haru-chan! You skip school too much!" Nagisa intervened.

Haruka shot him a cold glance. Makoto decided to take Haruka to the nurse's office while he convinced Rei and Nagisa to start going to class.

Meanwhile, Gou and Ms. Amakata were in front of the nurse's office, carrying Kataryn. The nurse's assistant walked over to them. "The nurse went out to lunch, so I'm the only one here," she said, as she noticed Kataryn's uniform was soaking wet.

"Ah, I see…" Ms Amakata said. "Anyway, we need to get this student a bed, and probably a change of clothes as well...?"

"Yes. Please follow me."

The nurse's assistant was a student with long violet hair and choppy side fringe.. She was wearing gold eye contacts. She looked like the type of person who would often cosplay.

The nurse's assistant lent Kataryn an extra change of clothes, and a towel. Kataryn was now wearing a gym uniform. They set Kataryn down on the bed. Ms. Amakata then entrusted Kataryn to Gou and left. As she was leaving, she saw Makoto going into the nurse's office with Haruka. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Haruka got into the pool after eating, so now his stomach hurts," Makoto explained.

Ms. Amakata sighed. "You need to be more careful," she said before leaving.

Gou and Kataryn were the only ones in the nurse's room. Gou turned her gaze to Kataryn as she sat down on a chair beside her bed. "Anyway, I should start by asking what you remember."

"I…I don't know…I don't remember anything…."

"I see…" Gou sighed. She continued, "Well, you got in an argument with Nagisa again. But this time, you stepped back too far and fell into the pool. You drowned and completely passed out. Luckily Haruka-senpai was there and saved you..." Gou paused for a second.

"W-what's wrong?" Kataryn asked.

"N-nothing. It's just that... Well, we called Ms. Amakata and got her to give you CPR."

"CPR?!" Kataryn's face went completely white. She felt as if she was going to pass out again. _S-she gave me CPR? That teacher…? D-does that count as my first kiss?! Does this mean my first kiss happened because a teacher gave me CPR? Not to mention she's female! _Kataryn's head started spinning, she laid down on the bed and looked at the white ceiling. She tried to change the subject. "S-so, Haru..ka? He tried to save me, right?"

Gou nodded.

"I-I see…" Kataryn didn't understand why a guy like him would bother saving her. She would've imagined someone like Makoto saving her instead. _I should thank him, shouldn't I? _Kataryn sighed. _But before that… I'm really tired…._

"I think I'm going to go to bed now…"

"That's probably a good idea," Gou agreed.

Kataryn closed her eyes and soon fell asleep.

Meanwhile, Haruka received pain medication from the nurse's assistant. He looked down at the pill.

"Do I really have to take this?"

"If you want to feel better, yes."

Haruka grimaced and took the pill. He waited with Makoto until he felt better. Thirty minutes later, the pill had taken effect, and he passed Gou and Kataryn as he was leaving. Kataryn was sleeping, Gou turned to them and put her index finger in front of her lips.

Kataryn woke up an hour later. Her mom came to pick her up. Together, they drove back home, the whole car ride dead silent.


	4. Chapter 3

The following day, Kataryn slowly walked to school. She had come to terms with the fact that she probably shouldn't be hanging around with the swim club. She was going to thank Haruka and never associate herself with them again after she did so. Kataryn never wanted to get near the pool again. It was her biggest regret. She hated pools, even more so since Gou explained to her what had happened yesterday. Hearing that a teacher gave her CPR wasn't very pleasing to her.

She walked through the school gates and spotted Haruka and Makoto in front of her. Kataryn took a deep breath. At first, she just stood and looked at them as they walked away. She then took a deeper breath and ran towards them.

"Makoto, Haruka!"

They turned at the same time. Makoto's expression seemed a bit concerned. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"I need to speak to you, Haruka." She paused, and then continued, "Privately."

Haruka was taken aback by her sudden request. He turned to Makoto, who nodded at him to go. Haruka followed Kataryn. He didn't have the slightest idea what she wanted to say to him that required them to have a private conversation.

They walked to the back of the school and faced each other at a three meter distance from each other. Haruka spoke first without a trace of emotion. "So, what is it you want to speak to me about?"

Kataryn paused for a while, thinking about what to say. She started to stumble through her words. She felt slightly intimidated by his presence, especially since they were alone. "I just…u—um….A-about yesterday, I-it was you that…saved me yesterday…r-right?"

"Yes, why?" Haruka answered so bluntly that Kataryn felt shot by his words. She wasn't sure how to continue. She paused again, and she took a deep breath. Kataryn looked straight at Haruka as she tried redeeming her confidence to speak.

"I…I just wanted to thank you." Kataryn politely bowed. She then raised her back to look at Haruka's expression. Haruka fell silent and stared at her for a couple of seconds before finally replying, "It's no big deal."

He closed his eyes and turned around. He started making his way back to the school entrance. Kataryn was left standing alone, dumbfounded by the way he replied. _I guess that's that_, she thought and started making her way back to the school entrance as well.

* * *

Kataryn decided to eat in class when the lunch bell rang. She was ready to have a lonely lunches from now on. She knew that it was going to be lonely and boring, but she had to endure it.

She then noticed the nurse's assistant from yesterday walking towards her. "Remember me?" she said.

"You're that girl in the nurse's office yesterday…right?"

"Hey, I have a name y'know? It's Carina," she huffed arrogantly as she turned the desk in front of Kataryn to connect them. She sat down and rested her cheek against her palm. Carina took out a can of juice from her bag and took a big gulp. She slammed the can on her desk. She looked like she was having a night out drinking. "So…what's up, girly?"

"U-um…aren't you supposed to be helping out in the nurse's office?"

Kataryn was shocked at Carina's carefree and almost delinquent-like attitude. _Was this the same girl from yesterday?_ she wondered to herself. She looked identical to the girl from yesterday, so there was no mistake about it.

Carina leaned back in her chair and said, "I was, but the nurse decided to give me a day off, so I came here. Nothing wrong with that, right?"

"Not really..."

"Plus, you're the new girl, my classmate, and I feel like I need to help you in times like these."

"W-wait….you're in this class as well?" Kataryn was shocked. She'd never seen this girl in the classroom before. Or maybe she just hasn't noticed her. But because of Carina's bright purple hair, it would be hard to not pick her from a crowd.

"Are you that dense? I've been sitting in the front of the class since the day you walked in! Even yesterday, I was the one who took you to your bed! Try getting some glasses!"

"I-I'm sorry…I don't remember…"

"How insulting! I guess that explains why you didn't even notice my new hair colour!" Carina sulked.

_New hair colour? I guess that could explain why I don't remember her, she could've just dyed her hair recently. But wait…I would've still noticed if there was a girl with purple hair in my class. Why didn't I notice before? She must've dyed it yesterday, then? But wouldn't that mean I would've still saw her with purple hair yesterday morning? _Kataryn started questioning herself. She then decided that she should ask instead of theorizing. "W-when exactly did you dye your hair?"

"The day before yesterday."

"But…were you even in class yesterday?"

"No, I slept in, so I came during lunch to help out at the nurses office."

"T-that explains it then." She felt proud at the fact that she solved the minor mystery.

"Anyway, back to what I was saying before. You must be really heartbroken after everything that happened and all."

"What?" Kataryn looked at Carina with a blank and confused face.

"What are you so surprised for?" Carina took a sip of her drink. "I heard you got rejected by that Nanase guy! Isn't that right, Lover Giiirl~?" Carina grinned, almost maliciously.

"_What?!_" Kataryn shouted as she inched closer to Carina.

Carina was shocked at Kataryn's reaction. "Don't do that! There's no need to deny it!"

"I-I didn't though, It's a misunderstanding, I-I just…I…."

Katarn started stuttering. She felt like she was going to cry. _Why does she think I confessed to him?! _she questioned.

"It's fine, girl. Let it out."

"No, seriously! I never confessed to Haruka. I've never even harbored such feelings for him!"

Now it was Carina who blankly stared at Kataryn as if she'd made some type of mistake. "S-so…you mean the rumours in the school are fake?!"

"R-rumours!?"

"You didn't know? Everyone's talking about it!"

Kataryn was infuriated. She couldn't believe someone could spread such a rumor. _Maybe someone saw us talking at the back of the school and thought I was confessing to him? B-but….I didn't see anyone. _Kataryn started to think. Carina noticed her troubled face.

"It seems as if I was wrong… You didn't confess to him, then?"

Kataryn shook her head. Her mind became blurry. She didn't know what to do.

"It's alright. Not all rumours are true. I guess it was just a misunderstanding. My apologies," Carina consoled. She sounded hypocritical. Just a moment ago, she was confronting Kataryn about the confession. "I guess that applies to me as well…I shouldn't believe any rumours, then…" Kataryn ignored her and dashed out the door. Carina tried chasing after her. "Hey! Where are you going?!" she cried.

"I'm going to cool off! Don't follow me!" she said coldly.

Carina became instantly intimidated by Kataryn's voice. It was as if her words were razor blades who'd cut anyone that stood in her way. She went to the washroom and washed her face. She then made her way to the rooftop to get a breath of fresh air. Kataryn held the railing and took a deep breath, her head tilted back.

Her peace was interrupted when a voice she never wanted to hear again called from behind her.

"Well, just the person I'm looking for. Hi Kata-chan!"

It was Nagisa.

Kataryn shot a sharp glare in his direction.

"K-Kata-chan?"

"Don't speak! You're the last person I want to see right now!" Kataryn averted his gaze. She noticed that Haruka and Makoto were there as well, looking at her. She felt like screaming. Nagisa then scratched his head. He felt as if he was the cause of her bad mood.

"I understand, I'm the reason you drowned, so…I just wanted to apologize. You don't have to join the swim club if you don't want to," Nagisa gave Kataryn a small, forced smile to hide his guilt.

"Huh?" Kataryn temporarily forgot what had happened yesterday due to all the drama she'd encountered today. She groaned as she felt another headache coming on. "Fine, I forgive you. Now please leave me alone!" She stormed off, and the three boys were left confused at what was going on.

"What was that all about?" Makoto asked.

Nagisa shrugged and shook his head in response.

* * *

Kataryn made her way to her fourth period class. She could hear the students snickering around her. She tightened her fist and she lowered her head as she walked through the hallway. With each step, she became faster and more aggressive. She wanted to escape to a safe place again.

As she was walking, she felt someone running behind her. She didn't bother turning around. She felt someone tapping her shoulder. Kataryn turned around to find it was Rei with Nagisa beside him. _Oh great, what do they want? _Kataryn groaned in her mind.

"Kataryn was it? Or is that too impolite? I guess I should just call you senpai for now," Rei turned away, thinking what he should address her as.

"What do you want?" she asked while glaring at Nagisa.

Rei looked at Nagisa as well. It looked to Kataryn as if Nagisa dragged Rei along to talk to her. "W-well, you see, I think I know what's bugging you, Kata-chan," he said nervously.

"Oh?" Kataryn raised an eyebrow. She knew that someone like Nagisa wouldn't have the slightest clue of what was bothering her. Regardless, he continued.

"I know that it must be hard getting rejected by Haru-chan. But don't take it personally. He just isn't into dating."

Kataryn felt her eyes twitch and her face scrunched up in anger and annoyance. She violently grabbed Nagisa by the collar, keeping a tight grip on him to not let him escape. Nagisa and Rei were bewildered by how strong she was. She inched closer to Nagisa, giving him a piercing glare. If her eyes were bullets, Nagisa would be dead.

"Let go of him! This is not how you should solve a problem. This should be talked out. No need to use violence!" Rei tried to get Kataryn to let go of Nagisa by using his words of reasoning, but she ignored him.

"Who told you that?" she asked Nagisa in a monotonous voice, which didn't fit the way her body was acting.

"I-it's all over the school," he managed to say.

"So you don't have any clear evidence to whether this rumour is fake or not?"

"Well... no..." He stumbled through his words and attempted to escape Kataryn's firm grasp, but it was futile.

"Exactly. And to be straight, I _never_ confessed to Haruka. Nor do I have the intention of _ever _confessing to someone like him. Got it?" Kataryn inched even closer to Nagisa. Her eyes were wide open, making her look like a ghost that would haunt Nagisa's nightmare.

"O-okay, I got it. Can you let go of me now? You're hurting me." Nagisa trembled in fear. He pleaded as she almost lifted him off the floor.

Kataryn came back to her senses and put Nagisa down. He gasped for air as soon as his feet touched the floor. By the time Nagisa could breathe properly, Kataryn had already stormed off.

"Women can be really scary..." Nagisa felt as if he'd learned a valuable lesson.

Rei, who saw the whole thing, he turned to Nagisa as a troubled expression rose on his face. "Are you alright? She sure had a tight grip on you. I do admit, though, she still managed to look very beautiful while doing something like that." His eyes sparkled in admiration.

Nagisa nodded, awkwardly laughing at Rei's last comment.

* * *

_**Author's note: **Not sure whether you guys notice it or not, but I am posting these chapters awfully fast aren't I? I'm actually currently working on chapter five (slowly). So I'll pretty much be posting the chapters that I already wrote. Looking back at this, I do feel as if I sort of rushed in this chapter, oh well. Hopefully my newer chapters will have more details, hahah._


	5. Chapter 4

_**Author's Note: **__So in this chapter, I included my friend's OC, Chisami since we're connecting our stories. Her fanfiction account is EMPMistress and her fanfiction is titled "A Splash of Water"_

_You guys should seriously check it out, she's amazing~_

_Other than that, I'm currently working on chapter 5 for this. It might take a while, so please be patient ^^;;_

* * *

After a long and stressful day, Kataryn headed home. After the rumours started spreading around the school, many guys tried to hit on her. Kataryn barely managed to get away from them. She had a terrible migraine, something that happened when she got too stressed. The other thing on her mind, other than how to make it safely home despite her headache, is who in the world started the rumours.

Not too far away from Kataryn was Makoto walking home. Haruka went home after lunch like he often did. Now Makoto was walking home with an underclassmen girl, named Chisami Ayano. She was walking very close to Makoto. It seemed as if she was almost leaning on him. Chisami yawned. She looked very tired and sleep deprived.

Makoto saw Kataryn ahead of him, he turned to Chisami.

"Oh, hey! Chi-chan, look."

Chisami raised her head to see what Makoto wanted her to look at. She saw the unfamiliar girl up ahead. Chisami raised her eyebrow as she started fixing her composure. "Huh, who's that?" she asked.

"That's Kataryn. She just transferred into my class. I'd introduce you but… she didn't seem to be in the best of moods today when Nagisa tried talking to her," Makoto explained, turning his gaze back to Kataryn. She seemed a bit off to him, as she was walking slowly and sluggishly. If he and Chisami were to continue their pace, they would catch up to her without even trying.

"Hmm…." Makoto placed his hand on his chin and debated whether he should approach her or not.

"N-Nagisa-kun?!" Chisami choked at Makoto's mentioning of him. She lowered her head as if she was hiding something. In truth, Chisami had secretly liked Nagisa for quite a while. She tried her best so that Makoto wouldn't notice. "W-what did he do?" Chisami asked worriedly. She was afraid that Nagisa would've liked Kataryn better than he liked her. Chisami wanted to be the only girl Nagisa has ever noticed. Judging from what Makoto said, it seemed as if Kataryn didn't like Nagisa very much. But she could never be sure about that.

"It's a long story…" Makoto sighed, remembering all the crazy events that occurred the past few days. "Anyway, what do you think? Should we go talk to her?" Makoto asked Chisami.

Chisami pondered for a while. She came to the conclusion that she should try at least befriending the girl, since it seemed as if Makoto was familiar with her. She nodded at Makoto with a grin on her face. "Sure! I'm sure she'll be alright. I want to meet your new friend, too!" Chisami thought that even though Kataryn was in a bad mood, she'd be able to keep her cool by being introduced to a new person. At least, that's what she hoped would happen.

"It's decided, then," Makoto nodded and waved to Kataryn, calling out her name.

Kataryn was startled by hearing her name being called out of nowhere. She turned around to see Makoto waving at her with a girl she'd never seen before. _Oh great…I didn't want to deal with anyone after everything that happened today. Good luck just isn't on my side today, is it? _Kataryn groaned and shouted back at Makoto, "What do you want?!" Her voice sounded hoarse as she spoke. She felt like she was at a breaking point, and her headache wasn't getting any better. She massaged her temples.

Seeing Kataryn calling back, Makoto ran up to Kataryn with Chisami following not too far behind.

When the two finally reached the new girl, Chisami felt her mouth open to speak, but stopped before she had a chance. She felt tension coming from the girl. She didn't want to seem rude, but she felt as if she was stuck in a bad, unwanted situation. Chisami politely bowed before Kataryn, who was taller than her by at least a few inches. Chisami saw how the girl didn't look Japanese at all. She took a closer look at her delicate features, her bright eye colour reminding her of sapphires. She felt herself blush, intimidated by the girl's overwhelming beauty. "H-Hello, my name is A-Ayano Chisami. It's a p-pleasure to meet you," Chisami stumbled through her words. She never thought such a lovely looking young lady would go to her school. To her, Kataryn seemed like the rich-girl type who would go to an all-girl's school like in shoujo manga. There was also an aura around Kataryn that reminded her of a stereotypical tsundere.

Kataryn was finally able to take a good look at Chisami. _Is she his girlfriend or something? _Kataryn pondered while switching her gaze back and forth between Chisami and Makoto. Finally, Kataryn fixed her gaze at Chisami, who had just introduced herself. She was a bit surprised by how polite her greeting was. _It can't hurt to try to be polite, right? _Attempting to force a smile, Kataryn introduced herself as well. "I'm Quinten Kataryn, but please call me Kataryn. I hate my last name."

Chisami giggled. _If I had a last name like that, I'd hate it too. _Chisami felt more comfortable calling people by their first names. "Okay, Kataryn-chan. Your name is really pretty! I don't hear names like that often," Chisami said. She was curious to whether Kataryn was foreign or not, but she didn't want to seem rude asking such a thing to a stranger.

"You don't like your last name, Kataryn? Why's that?" Makoto asked. He was satisfied that the conversation was going smoothly.

"Well, most Japanese people can't pronounce my last name properly. It is a British last name after all," Kataryn responded almost immediately.

"Ah, I do admit it's a bit awkward to say," Makoto laughed awkwardly as he scratched his cheek. "By the way, where do you live?" He asked.

"Er..." Kataryn tried to remember what her address was again. Kataryn felt guilty for not recalling it; she only knew where the house was. She scratched her head in confusion. "I-it's not too far from here, I just have to walk," she replied nervously.

"I see…well, I guess we can just keep walking together until we part ways," Makoto suggested, noticing Kataryn's troubled look on her face.

Kataryn wasn't too pleased with his suggestion. She was hoping to walk alone. Due to the circumstances, however, she couldn't say no, especially since it seemed as if they were going the same direction.

Meanwhile, Chisami took note on how Kataryn's last name was then noticed Kataryn's troubled look and turned her head to the side. _Does she not like me?_ Chisami tried to shake off the thought. She was certain that thinking that way would get in the way of her making a new friend- a female one at that.

"I live nearby too, Kataryn-chan." Chisami felt a weird adding '-chan' to such a name.

"Maybe you can stop by sometime? It's not very far. Just make sure you don't visit when Nagisa-kun's over," Chisami continued, but then stopped. She was scared that Kataryn wouldn't like the topic she brought up, especially since she mentioned Nagisa.

Kataryn was dumbfounded by Chisami's invitation to go to her house. _Is it normal to invite someone to your house when you first meet them? _Kataryn felt like a total stranger to these types of things. She never had any close friends, only acquaintances. The last time she remembered going to another kid's house was when she was a child and went to play with the neighbourhood kids. She was even more taken aback by the fact that Chisami mentioned Nagisa going to her house. _W-wait…she knows him as well? Maybe they're the ones who are dating?! No, no, no a guy like that would never get a girl like this one. She seems almost too good for him! _She started questioning Chisami. "So that kid goes to your house often, then?" Kataryn's tone of voice suddenly turned condescending, annoyed with the fact that Nagisa was brought up.

Chisami became startled by Kataryn's change of tone. She was sure she had done something to put her off. "W-Well… Uhm…" Chisami blushed as she looked away. _Oh, god, please don't find out! _"I make lunch for the swimming club, so one of the boys accompanies me sometimes- and Nagisa likes to help out on Haruka's days, so he's here often…" Chisami explained. _Good, that should save her._

Chisami wanted to address Kataryn's tone, but she was afraid that it might make matters worse. Unfortunately, Chisami's curiosity tempted her to say something she shouldn't have. "Do you not get along with him? He's just a little… energetic," Chisami awkwardly chuckled. Her face was flushed. She was worried that someone would find out about her crush.

Makoto nervously turned to Chisami, knowing very well why Kataryn wasn't fond of Nagisa. With all the events that happened, it was better not to ask. He grabbed her shoulder and whispered into her ear, "H-hey, Chi-chan, it's better if you don't ask questions like that. I'll explain later."

"Explain what later?" Kataryn asked, overhearing Makoto whisper to Chisami. _Can you whisper any louder? _She asked in her head.

Makoto panicked, not knowing how Kataryn would react. He did hear a short summary from Rei about what happened between her and Nagisa when going to class, which made him feel more frightened at what Kataryn would do. Makoto was about to open his mouth, but before he could, Kataryn sighed and continued talking. "Actually, nevermind. I don't want to discuss any issues right now. I have a horrible migraine right now, and I just want to get back home, okay?" Kataryn admitted.

_Why didn't you say so before?_ Makoto thought to himself.

"A migraine," Chisami whispered to herself. She'd try to talk some sense into Nagisa about bothering people. "I-I'm sorry for whatever he may have done to upset you-" Chisami muttered an apology, hoping Kataryn wouldn't hear it. She took Makoto's hand for reassurance. He always made her feel at ease when she was nervous. Makoto smiled at Chisami and continued walking.

He wanted to say something, but he didn't want to risk upsetting Kataryn. Plus, he could tell how nervous Chisami was around her. He also knew it wouldn't be too long before Chisami tried to break the silence, which she hated. This was why it was so hard for her to warm up to Haruka.

Kataryn felt awkward walking with Makoto and Chisami, especially since they weren't saying anything. She wanted to make a random excuse to run off. She didn't want to put any unnecessary strain on herself, though, so she held back. Kataryn closed her eyes and tried to pretend that Makoto and Chisami weren't there. It would've worked if it wasn't for the fact that she could hear their footsteps.

"So, do you like the swim club?" Chisami finally broke the silence. Chisami was worried about bothering Kataryn, but at the same time, she wanted to get to know her. Kataryn turned to Chisami with a puzzled look on her face. She heard Chisami's question ring in her head several times.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She raised her eyebrow.

"W-Well… You are in the swim club now, right? I mean, Makoto-kun and Nagisa-kun are both in it. Nagisa-kun had me join so I figured…" Chisami trailed off, she felt more awkward than before. She waved her hands and shook her head. "I'm sorry, I'm just not very good at-"

Makoto suddenly interrupted Chisami. "She's just a little awkward. She doesn't speak to a lot of girls at school, so she's happy she can speak to you," he chuckled. "Chi-chan, you should mind her migraine…" Makoto leaned down and whispered to the short girl.

Chisami sighed, feeling guilty for bothering Kataryn. She looked down at her feet.

"I'm not in the swim club," Kataryn replied in a blunt manner.

"I-I see." Chisami puffed her cheeks. "You don't like Nagisa-kun, right?" Chisami asked. She averted her gaze as she let go of Makoto's hand. She gripped her bag tightly. She was afraid that maybe Kataryn would turn out to be a rival for Nagisa's attention, and wanted to get rid of the possibility that they may end up liking each other.

"Ch-Chi-chan!" Makoto gasped. _Oh, dear. _He braced himself for what would happen next.

Kataryn turned to Chisami, giving her a sharp look as she scrunched her face in annoyance.

"Why would I like a brat like that? He's the reason I drowned in the pool!" she spat out, feeling slight resentment towards Nagisa. Now that she thought about it, she hadn't completely forgiven him and only said those words to get him off her back. Kataryn felt an adrenaline rush from revealing her emotions. She couldn't hold back and kept going. Something truly had snapped in her head. "Because I drowned, Amakata-sensei had to give me CPR. And I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm _pretty_ sure that counts as a first kiss. My first kiss was given to me by a damn teacher while I was passed out! And now, there's this rumour going around that I confessed to that idiot Haruka, when all I did was thank him for saving me from drowning!" Kataryn let everything in her mind out. She never felt more relieved. She gasped for air after her exhausting speech was over.

Chisami's eyes widened at Kataryn's words. She insulted Nagisa, and her jaw slowly dropped as Kataryn continued. She was afraid of getting into her bad side- but she was already on it. "I-I see…" _You don't like the swim club- got it. _She sighed and looked up at Makoto. "I don't think the rumours are true. Haruka-senpai never says yes to a girl who wants to confess," Chisami said. "B-But, I don't think that counts as a first kiss," she averted her gaze and continued. "CPR is an action of dire need. A kiss is something that's romantic and sweet, and it makes you feel all tingly and happy and…" Chisami giggled as she fantasized how her first kiss with Nagisa would be like. "But…Nagisa isn't a brat…." she mumbled, trying to defend him. "I think he's sweet. He carried me home one time when I got sick! Even though it meant he had to miss his train! And he pulled a prank on a boy that was bullying me," Chisami smiled.

"Even so, I had a horrible day today. The nurse's assistant… W-what's her name… Carina? It doesn't matter. She came up to me to comfort me because she _actually _believed the rumour! And then I had a bunch of guys attempting to 'comfort me' by hitting on me. 'Oh, poor Kataryn! It's okay, you don't need someone like that. We should go out~'

"Some people even think I'm in denial when I tell them that they're wrong, and that it's a misunderstanding. Why does nobody believe what I have to say?!" Kataryn stomped the ground, clenching her teeth in anger. She marched further and further away from Makoto and Chisami.

"Rumours?" Chisami frowned "Stay here!" she told Makoto before trotting off to Kataryn.

When she finally reached the brunette, she began speaking to her in attempt to connect with her… somehow.

"D-During the first week of school, I had two boys confess to me in a single day." She was having a horrible time keeping up with Kataryn as she spoke, but she continued anyway.

"And I said no to both of them." She ran further ahead than Kataryn, turned around, and spread her arms to stop her from going anywhere else. _Oh, God, I'm acting just like Nagisa… _She thought, but continued, "They told their friends that I slept with them, and everyone said I did things with them! A-And…" Chisami sniffled slightly. "I don't believe any of those rumours about you! So please don't be upset! It must be kind of hard fitting in, right? C-Can we be friends please, Kataryn? I don't want you to be lonely." Chisami swallowed hard and held out her hand, hoping that Kataryn would take it. But at the same time, she was prepared for her rejection.

Kataryn sighed, understanding how authentic the girl was being. She put her weight on her left leg and looked at Chisami, giving her an expressionless glare.

"You act as if being alone is such a bad thing," she said monotonously, playing with a strand of her hair. "Having friends is too much effort for me. I don't know how others do it." Kataryn lowered her head. She was confused why Chisami was so desperate to befriend her, revealing personal things to her in the process.

Chisami slouched her shoulders at Kataryn's response. "Well… I didn't like being alone, so I guess I assumed you didn't, too…" Chisami sighed and let her hand drop the side. She knew Kataryn wasn't going to listen to her at this point. "You're just like Haruka-senpai," she mumbled under her breath.

Kataryn noticed Chisami mumbling something under her breath.

"Hey, wai-" She suddenly felt herself holding back as she saw Chisami walking to Makoto. She could tell that the girl was disappointed about something. Kataryn decided that it was best for her to brush it off and walk back home on her own. For some reason, she felt as if she'd done something she shouldn't have.

Kataryn's evening got a lot brighter after a nice dinner with her mother and father. She headed to bed after showering. She started feeling resentment towards herself for not having any control over her emotions and actions. _I guess I should apologize tomorrow… And maybe say sorry to Nagisa as well. _Kataryn let herself fall onto her bed and soon fell asleep.


End file.
